The Big Secret
by Island Breezes
Summary: Max and Michael want to do something special for Liz and Maria for Valentines Day, but the plan puts Max and Michael's lives in danger.


**The Big Secret**

**Rating: TEEN or YTEEN (about like the show)**

**Pairings: M/L, M/M**

**The creators and producers of "Roswell," Melinda Metz, who wrote the books, and Jason Katims, who brought us the TV series, deserve the credit for the Roswell concept, original characters, and any mention of events that occurred during the TV series, "Roswell," which I do not own but merely lead down a path of imagination through the stars of a destiny that might have been. Characters in my stories that are not from the show are my own, including a host of children and Antarians, as well as alien adults and children from other planets.**

**This was a Valentine's Day challenge story at Majik's World of Fanfic and had to include the phrases: hot alien sex; evil bitch monster of death; and It's not just about sex, I really do love you. It also had to include a death (not necessarily a human being); some type of sporting event; reference to the song "I'm too Sexy" by Right Said Fred; a plunger; A goldfish; a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates; a bouquet of flowers; the color pea green; and be between 2000 and 5000 words.**

**_The Big Secret _is mostly compatible with the Altered Time series. Max, Michael, Liz, Maria, and the others live on Antar, having left Earth to escape the special unit and to return Max to his rightful throne. It should be an easy read, even if you have never read any of the stories in that series, however.**

**The Big Secret**

**Max stared at the contents of the small container and shook his head.**

"**I'm sorry," the lady said apologetically, "It's all we have…" Then she smiled. "Except… wait a minute!" She ran back into the back and returned quickly with another box, opening it to let Max see inside. Max looked in the box and jumped backwards a foot, then he grimaced and shook his head apologetically.**

**The lady sighed. "Those were made on the planet Shymach in the fourth galaxy. They may not be what you're looking for."**

"**They're not," Max agreed, "I knew the Shymachians' senses were a bit different than ours. I didn't know they were THAT different, though! I'm sure these are fine… it's just the way they look… and smell."**

**The lady smiled and nodded. "I understand. I've had trouble getting rid of them. But it was the only other thing I had. I thought maybe since you're part Eluymerian… maybe you might find them more… appealing."**

**Max shook his head. "Eluymer… Earth… is a lot like Antar in some ways. I'm sorry to have taken your time. I appreciate your showing these to me, though."**

"**I'm sorry I didn't have what you wanted. If you find any place where they have the ones you want, let me know and I'll stock up on them for you."**

**Max smiled and nodded, turning and walking out the door just in time to see Michael walk up.**

"**Did you find them, Max?"**

"**This is harder than I expected," Max groaned, shaking his head.**

**Michael nodded. "Yeah, me either. It just doesn't seem to exist here on Antar. I would go back to Earth for some, but it would take several days each way, and we only have…" **

**Max looked at his watch… "eighteen hours… and twenty-three minutes."**

**Michael nodded and sighed. **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**In the royal palace, Liz had just stepped out of the bathtub. She wrapped a towel around herself and hurried to pick up the phone, which was ringing. **

"**Is Michael there, Liz?" **

"**I haven't seen him, Maria. He may be with Max."**

"**Yeah… have you noticed that those two have been acting really weird the last couple of days, Liz?"**

**Liz laughed. "Well… yeah, I guess… now that you mention it. They do seem to be very secretive about something. I'm sure they'll tell us about it, though, if it's important."**

"**Yeah," Maria agreed, sounding less that convinced.**

"**Well, I don't think they're hiding anything, Maria," Liz said, picking up on Maria's uncertainty, "They just have royal business to attend to."**

"**At a lingerie shop?" Maria asked.**

**There was silence on the line for several long moments.**

"**Lingerie?"**

"**Michael was seen at Vyk'trya's Unmentionables on the east side… with Max."**

"**Oh… well…" Liz sputtered, "Michael's probably getting something for you, Maria. I'm sure he and Max aren't… you know… dressing in drag."**

"**Eww! Ewwwwwww! God, Liz! I hadn't even thought of that! I wish you hadn't said that! Now I'll never get that picture out of my head!"**

**Liz laughed. "Maria, it's innocent! I'm sure of it! Relax! We'll find out what they're up to in good time."**

"**Yeah, you're right, Liz. Michael's never fooled around with other girls before. Why would he now? Right?"**

"**Right! It's innocent. Don't let on that you know anything. He probably wants to surprise you."**

"**It's not our anniversary, Liz. It's not my birthday either. Why would he…?"**

"**Did those guys ever need a reason, Maria… for anything?"**

"**Yeah, you're right," Maria laughed, "I can't wait to find out what they're sneaking all over Antar for, though. It better be good… after putting me through all this… wondering!"**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

"**We should have introduced Valentines Day to the Antarians when we first got here, Max."**

"**Well, there wasn't any real need to. We have 'Lovers' Day' on the first official day of spring, when the flowers are starting to bloom. It just seemed appropriate to adopt the Antarian traditions. We sort of traded Valentines Day for Antar's Lovers' Day."**

"**I know," Michael agreed, "But you know how girls like it when you think of something sentimental all by yourself… without being coaxed or them expecting it. It's been years since any of us has celebrated Valentine's Day and I wanted to surprise Maria with something a little unexpected. Is a big heart-shaped box of real chocolates asking too much?"**

"**I want to surprise Liz, too. But they don't seem to have real chocolates here. And those hairy, pea-green shimmering things the Shymachians eat could taste like ambrosia and still nobody would eat them… except Shymachians… or someone who was blind and couldn't smell! They're awful!"**

**Michael laughed. "Hey Max! What about Ver'nora's new experimental intergalactic zip'pod? That could get us to Earth and back in time!"**

**Max nodded wistfully. "The intergalactic zip'pod hasn't been tested. I'm not even sure it's finished. I would want Varec to certify it before trying it with an… Antarian… especially if that Antarian is me or you or anybody I know. Ver'nora's a superb scientist, but the only one I would trust my life with unconditionally is Varec."**

"**Oh, the zip'pod is finished," Michael said with certainty. "I saw it myself. She sent a bunch of xidos to the tenth galaxy with it."**

**Max laughed. "Well, I'm sure that must have been a surprise to whoever lived there when Antarian fruit rained out of the sky… or whatever happened to it when it got there… if it got there. But a bunch of xidos is not a human or an Antarian. And what condition were they in when they got there? Does she know? Did she get them back?"**

**Michael shrugged. "I'd almost be willing to risk it… to get Maria some real chocolates and see her eyes light up when she knows I thought about her on Valentines' Day."**

**Max stopped and looked at Michael. "It would make them happy, wouldn't it."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

"**How does it work?" Max asked curiously, looking at the car-sized pod. "How can it get to a planet all the way in another galaxy in only a few minutes? It sounds like science fiction."**

**Ver'nora smiled and arched her eyebrows. "The science fiction of yesterday is the reality of today, Zan. It has always been so. As for how it works, it is a bit complicated, but to simplify it as much as I can… the zip'pod's engine draws a sort of force field to it from the outer reaches of space. When you activate the systems, the force field is released and springs back into place, taking the pod with it."**

"**So it's like a high-tech catapult," Max said, nodding, "You pull the rubber band to it, attach it, then let it fly."**

"**Um, not exactly," Ver'nora said, shaking her head, "It's more like you're distorting space on the other end in order to create suction that will pull you through a galactic energy tube."**

"**So, in other words, the space warp is a plunger that sucks us out of the cosmic sewer," Michael said, grinning.**

"**Crude, Rath… but not entirely inaccurate," Ver'nora agreed, rolling her eyes, "Why do you want to visit Eluymer? What is so urgent there?"**

"**We're… a little pressed for time," Max replied, "There's this holiday on Eluymer called Valentine's Day. It's like our Lovers' Day here, but we need to find some traditional Earth… uh, Eluymer chocolates in a big heart-shaped box…"**

"**Giant heart-shaped boxes of chocolates… two of them… and flowers… Earth flowers," Michael said, using his hands to indicate the size of the box he hoped to find, "And we thought…"**

"**That if you remembered your Earth Lover's Day, you might get some hot alien sex in return from your alien wives?"**

"**Ver'nora!" Michael gasped.**

**Max snickered… "It's true, Michael. They ARE hot!"**

"**Well, yeah," Michael agreed, "Maria is definitely Hot… with a capital H… and she is an alien… but it's not just about sex, I really do love her!"**

"**Then that's what you two need to tell them," Ver'nora said, grinning, "All the chocolate on Eluymer won't mean as much as that."**

"**Maybe not," Michael agreed, "But it doesn't hurt to have a little something in hand to… you know… back up what you're saying when you say it."**

**Ver'nora nodded. "You are wise beyond your years, Rath… You, too, Zan. Okay, if you want to be the first to test the zip'pod, I guess that can be arranged."**

"**I don't want to be," Michael muttered, "But I'll do it for Maria. They don't have a decent piece of chocolate on Antar! I would feel better about this pod thing, though, if Varec had certified it as safe."**

**Ver'nora smiled. "If you can wait a few days…"**

**Max sighed. "Valentines' Day will be over in less than twenty-four hours. We either do this now or never. Are you sure this thing is ready, Ver'nora?"**

"**I'm sure. It's very simple really. It's just an ionically induced gravitational attractor that warps a sector of space in the area you're going to. When you release it, it reconfigures itself to its original shape very quickly, and you get sucked through space. To return, you set the controls for your destination, and away you go. A few minutes each way. Nothing to go wrong. The pod has retractable wheels and can be driven like a land vehicle when on land. The wheels are retracted right now."**

"**I'd feel a lot better if Varec told me it was ready," Michael said, "No offense to you Ver'nora. You are one of the most respected scientists in the galaxy. But we've put our lives in Varec's hands so many times that it seems second nature."**

"**I understand. No offense taken."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Max settled into the "driver's" seat of the pod. It was comfortable, not too unlike a luxury sports car on Earth, which it actually did resemble. Max looked at Michael, and Michael nodded.**

"**You want to do the honors, Michael?"**

"**Yeah, why not. If we're going to die, it might as well be MY hands on the wheel."**

**Michael passed his hand over the console, and the console lit up. A display, in Antarian symbols, said, "Attractor engaged. Please wait." In just under ten seconds, that display went off and another came on… "Pod ready." Michael passed his hand over the console again, and everything around them seemed to just "wink out" for a moment. It was actually a bit disconcerting, in a visual sort of way. But neither Max nor Michael felt anything at all otherwise.**

"**Are we moving?" Michael asked after a moment.**

**Max nodded and pointed out the window. They could see stars all around them, but the stars were elongated into long streaks rather than the familiar little dots.**

"**Cool!" Michael mused, beginning to relax somewhat, "I told you Ver'nora knew what she was doing." **

**Max smiled. Four minutes later, the starry streaks changed into short streaks then into familiar pinpoints of light. Seconds after that, the pod was gliding through Earth's atmosphere, headed for a flawless landing in Roswell, New Mexico.**

"**We got here in just over four minutes, Max. This is going to revolutionize space travel!"**

**Max nodded and lowered the wheels into place, which did make the pod look very much like a luxury sedan. But moments after the wheels were locked down, the pod hit a patch of major turbulence and was thrown on its side. Max quickly righted it again and watched as an Air France 747 breezed by much too near for comfort.**

"**That was close," Michael gasped.**

**Max nodded. "We'll have to watch out for planes. I'd give anything, though, to see the look on those pilots' faces!" Max puckered his lips and used his best French accent… "Mais mon ami, what do you mean you saw ze Buick flying? Have you been drinking ze Bavarian beer again?"**

**Michael and Max both snickered then broke into laughter.**

"**Do you think there may be any repercussions because we were seen, Max?"**

**Max thought about it and shook his head. "If we were saucer shaped, maybe. But I doubt the army will give any serious consideration to reports of flying Buicks."**

**Michael nodded. "Still, we should try to avoid being seen again if possible. Too many reports will make them sit up and take a look."**

"**Agreed," Max said, setting the car-like pod down gently on the road at the edge of Roswell, as though they had just driven out of the desert. Once in Roswell, Max drove to the nearest mall, and he and Michael both got out and locked the pod up behind them. As they walked into the mall, Max looked back and nodded approvingly…**

"**It looks a bit futuristic but not unbelievable. It could pass for a car easily. And the windows are all dark, so no one can see inside."**

"**Ver'nora's a frikkin' genius," Michael gushed, "A total frikkin' genius!"**

**Forty minutes later, Max and Michael emerged from the mall, each carrying a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers which were quickly put into the pod's back seat. Then Max reengaged the attractor. The console lit up, just as before, with Antarian symbols: "Please wait." Moments later, the other light came on: "Pod ready." Max passed his hand over the console, and the elongated stars reappeared.**

**Two ten-year-old boys watched as Max and Michael loaded their gifts into the pod and got back in. They watched as the pod prepared itself. And they watched as it appeared to snap upwards and vanish. **

"**Wow!" Do you think they were aliens?" Eric asked his friend, Joey, in awe.**

"**Naw. My dad's got a car just like that."**

"**Get out of here! Your dad's car cannot jump off the ground and turn invisible!"**

"**Can so!"**

"**Can not!"**

"**Can so!"**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Michael leaned back in the seat and relaxed. "Who's going to believe we made a trip to Earth, visited the mall, and got back… all in less than an hour? I almost don't believe it myself. This trip has been so smooth!" **

**Unfortunately, Michael might have spoken too soon, because suddenly, the pod began to rotate, though only slowly at first. This would have been irrelevant in space, except, again, for the disconcerting sensory aspect.**

"**Can't we stop this, Max?" Michael asked with some urgency, "I'm getting sick!"**

"**I don't know how," Max said, looking around for some way to stabilize the pod and stop the spinning. "Close your eyes. It'll only be a few minutes till we get there. You just have to not look at the stars. Then you won't know we're spinning."**

**Michael closed his eyes, but he looked –and felt- a little green. Then, without warning, the pod began to spin faster. Even with their eyes closed, both Max and Michael could feel the disconcerting sensation now.**

"**Max, if you don't stop this thing from spinning, I swear, I'm going to heave," Michael said insistently, glancing over at Max. Max's face was greener than the proverbial Martian's… "I think you are, too!" he added.**

**Michael tried closing his eyes, but the spinning sensation was too intense to ignore. He opened his eyes again, and in the swirling rush of the cosmos outside the pod, he could have sworn he saw a dead goldfish float by.**

"**She did flush us through the cosmic sewer!" Michael muttered… right before he threw up.**

"**Ver'nora's a good scientist," Max mumbled, holding one hand over his mouth and fighting the urge to throw up, too, with only marginal success, "I'm sure when we get there, she can find a way to keep this from happening again."**

"**She's no scientist," Michael muttered flatly, pulling his soiled shirt off, "She's an evil bitch monster of death**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**In the palace, on Antar, the phone rang, and Liz answered it. She was shocked to hear Maria crying and obviously distraught.**

"**Maria? What's wrong?"**

"**They're dead" Maria sobbed, "They're both dead. I just found out."**

**Liz felt a shock run through her, and she fumbled the phone for a moment. "Maria… slow down… wh- what are talking about? Who's dead?"**

**The last two flowers I had left from Earth… the ones in the pots on my patio. I forgot to water them… I killed them! **

**Liz took a deep breath. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Maria! Maybe you can get some more… if we go back to Earth again… someday."**

**Maria whimpered softly then sniffed. "Yeah, I know. It's just that they meant so much to me, Liz. Michael gave them to me… and I killed them."**

"**Michael will understand, Maria. You had them on the patio. They usually got watered by the rain, and we haven't had any rain for a long while now. It was a natural oversight. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to cry about it."**

"**I know…" Maria sniffled, "I… I wish I knew where he was. I don't know why, but I'm missing him terribly right now. I just have this awful feeling like something happened to him, and now the flowers he gave me are dead. It's like some kind of sign, Liz… an omen or something."**

**Liz swallowed. "Hey, Maria, listen, you're just upset because the flowers died. I'm sure Michael and Max are fine. If they weren't, we would have heard, right? They'll probably walk in the door any minute now, and Michael will make you forget all about your troubles."**

**Maria smiled and wiped her eyes, and a soft giggle escaped from somewhere within her, betraying her. She couldn't help it. Even when she was sad, the mere thought of Michael could make her happy. Maria DeLuca Guerin… Hurricane DeLuca… feared on two worlds… had a traitorous heart that could render her a mere puddle of quivering jelly at Michael's feet. Oh, she hid it well… most of the time. But she knew it was true. Liz knew it, too. And Michael suspected it, but he never dared to make an issue of it, because his own heart was barely contained when he was around Maria, all the macho bravado notwithstanding. Feared throughout the galaxy, the infamous Rath was gentle, sweet, and infinitely vulnerable around Maria. It wasn't something that he liked to spread around, but he had never tried to deny it either.**

"**My lady!" one of the palace maids said, interrupting Liz and Maria's conversation, "There's someone at the door. They said it's urgent."**

"**Maria, I've got to go. I'll call you right back, okay?"**

**Liz ran to the door, hoping it was Max, but it wasn't.**

"**My lady, you need to come quickly."**

"**Where?" Liz asked, half holding her breath.**

"**To the CoruzAntar Regional Healing Center. I'll take you there."**

"**Max!" Liz gasped.**

**The man did not reply, and Liz started to run back to the phone.**

"**Leave it," the man said, "There's no time. Someone has been sent to bring Lady Guerin to the Healing Center already."**

**Liz jumped into the hover car, her voice all but impossible to find. She wanted desperately to ask if Max was okay… if he was hurt… if he was alive… but she could not find the words, so she sat in stunned silence. The car arrived at the center at the same time as the one bringing Maria arrived, and the two rushed into the building.**

"**This way," a healer said, guiding Liz and Maria down a hall to the intensive care unit.**

**Liz flung the door open, and she and Maria struggled to get through it at the same time. In two beds lay Max and Michael, looking like they had been through the wringer. **

"**Omigod, Max! What happened?" Liz tried to ask, her voice breaking. Maria fell into Michael's arms then pulled back, listening for the answer to Liz's question.**

"**We, uh, we had a little accident," Michael said.**

"**Well, I can see that," Maria retorted, somehow finding her own voice. "Couldn't Max fix you?"**

"**He was unconscious until a few minutes ago. He couldn't even help himself."**

"**What happened?" Liz asked again.**

**Max flushed. "We, uh… we wanted to surprise you."**

"**Well, you've done that! Don't ever do it again!" Liz said, hugging him carefully, lest she hurt him. **

**Max put his arms around her. "It's okay, I won't break. You can squeeze all you want. After I woke up, I fixed most of our, uh… boo-boos." Max smiled innocently. "They're just keeping us here for a while to make sure that I got them all and to take care of anything I might have missed."**

"**We got you girls a little present… or two," Michael said, reaching under his bed and pulling out a giant heart-shaped red box, which he handed to Maria. "Happy Valentine's Day, Maria."**

**Max reached under his bed and pulled out a similar box and handed it to Liz… "Happy Valentine's Day, Honey. I hope you like them. We got you some flowers, too." Max pointed at the bouquets on the other side of the room. **

"**Oh my God!" Maria exclaimed, her eyes growing wide, "Flowers! And chocolates?" She took one of the chocolate confections and tasted it… "REAL chocolates!" **

"**Where on Antar did you get these?" Liz asked.**

"**Not on Antar," Max replied softly… "On Earth."**

**No words escaped from Maria's or Liz's mouths… in fact, barely a breath escaped. Finally, Liz asked the question on both of their minds…**

"**When did you go to Earth?"**

"**Today," Michael said, looking impish.**

"**It takes three days… each way… even with Varec's super drive," Liz replied, clearly stunned.**

"**Not with the zip'pod," Max said.**

**Liz looked at Max questioningly… "The what?"**

"**Ver'nora developed something called a zip'pod. It can get to Earth in five minutes. But on the way back, we ran into a little trouble."**

"**Zip'pod?" Liz repeated, incredulous, "Isn't that still in the experimental stages?"**

"**Not anymore," Michael said, "We tested it for her. We had a little bit of a bad landing when we got back, because the pod was spinning. But except for that, hey! It worked like a charm."**

**Maria gasped, and all the color drained out of her face… "Michael Guerin! You risked your life to get me some… CHOCOLATES?"**

"**Real chocolates… from Earth," Michael squeaked.**

**Maria looked first like she wanted to kill Michael, then like she might kiss him, then like she might kill him… Michael waited to see where the wheel would stop spinning, hoping and praying that he would survive the round. Max, for his part, kept totally quiet, watching Liz's face go through similar contortions.**

"**Why didn't you just ask to borrow my sphere… my portal," Liz asked, "You used it to attend the Super Bowl, and Michael used it to go to a hockey game!"**

**Max shook his head. "That would have given away our secret. We wanted to surprise you. We wanted you to have a great Valentine's Day." Max waved his hand, and airs of "I'm Too Sexy," by Right Said Fred wafted through the air, as he smiled boyishly.**

**Maria looked stunned, then she looked at Michael's face. He seemed somehow so very vulnerable right now. She reached up and pulled the curtain around the bed. "Excuse me, Liz. I need to administer a little bit of… heart massage… or something."**

**Liz smiled and pulled the curtain around Max's bed, too, then she fell into his arms.**

"**Max, I love you so much… and if you ever do something like this again, I will be forced to kill you!" Liz's eyes glowered, but Max saw the feeling behind them. He just nodded. Liz grabbed a pencil and scrawled something quickly on a piece of paper, then she taped it to the door of their room and ran back to Max… "Now where were we? Oh, yeah… we were about to remove this… and this… and do this…" Max smiled. **

**From the other cubicle, he thought he heard Michael say, "It's not just about sex, I really do love you." Then he heard Maria say, "Shut up, Michael."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Walking down the hall outside the room, a nurse stopped to read Liz's hurriedly-scrawled note taped on the door. She scratched her head and shrugged then walked on, leaving the note where it was and the door closed, but she wondered about the strange message: "Do Not Disturb. Intensive care being administered. Happy Valentine's Day!"**

**The End**


End file.
